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Strength or Endurance Training Does Little to Improve Cardiovascular Fitness in Older Women

Women who are older than 75 years appear to get relatively little cardiovascular fitness benefit from strength or endurance training.

Few population-based trials have looked at the effects of such training in this population, according to the investigators, from Jyvaskyla Central Hospital, Berner Ltd, in Helsinki, Peurunka-Medical Rehabilitation and Physical Exercise Centre, Laukaa and University of Jyvaskyla, Finland.

They enrolled 42 medically screened women aged 76-78 years -- 16 were randomly assigned to a strength group, 15 to endurance and 11 to a control group. The two exercise groups took part in individually tailored 18-week programmes at a university-based exercise laboratory. Controls carried on with their normal level of physical activity.

The women in the strength-training group increased their cycle ergometer peak power from 68.1 to 70.3 W (p=0.035 compared to controls) and their peak power per kg body weight from 1.02 to 1.05 (p=0.027). The endurance-training group increased their peak power per kg body weight from 0.91 to 0.93 (p=0.049). 18.1 to 19.7 ml.kg(-1) min(-1).

The strength-training group had an increase in peak oxygen uptake from 18.1 to 19.7 mL/kg(-1).min(-1), and the endurance group increased their peak oxygen uptake from 17.1 to 18.2, a difference which was not significant.

Six of 31 women (19 percent) who participated in the exercise groups withdrew from the study as a result of health problems.

The researchers warn that training programmes can uncover health problems in medically screened elderly women.
Age Ageing 2002;31(4):247-254. "Improving cardiovascular fitness by strength or endurance training in women aged 76-78 years. A population-based, randomized controlled trial"

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